BLENHEIM ESTATE LTD. FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN for and on Behalf of Blenheim Estate Ltd
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BLENHEIM ESTATE LTD. FOREST MANAGEMENT PLAN For and on behalf of Blenheim Estate Ltd Document review period Bi-Annual Last review June 2019 By Technical Forester 1 Contents Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 1 1 Management Plan Introduction ................................................................................................ 2 Management Objectives .................................................................................................... 2 2 Related Documents and Systems ............................................................................................ 2 3 Forest Description .................................................................................................................... 3 Forest statistics .................................................................................................................. 3 Forest Layout ..................................................................................................................... 3 Socio Economic Conditions ............................................................................................... 4 Profile of Adjoining Lands .................................................................................................. 4 4 Environmental Management .................................................................................................... 5 Environmental limitations ................................................................................................... 5 The Environment and Forestry Activities ............................................................................ 6 Compliance ........................................................................................................................ 6 5 Maintenance and Enhancement of Forest Services ............................................................... 10 Biodiversity ...................................................................................................................... 10 Waterways and Soil conservation .................................................................................... 11 Social benefits ................................................................................................................. 11 6 Forest Management & Operations ......................................................................................... 12 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 12 Species Selection ............................................................................................................ 13 Establishment and Silviculture ......................................................................................... 13 Establishment .................................................................................................................. 14 Silviculture ....................................................................................................................... 14 Pests and disease ........................................................................................................... 15 Monitoring of Silvicultural Systems ................................................................................... 15 Harvesting ....................................................................................................................... 16 Rate of Harvest ................................................................................................................ 16 Extraction Techniques .................................................................................................. 17 Conventional Harvesting .............................................................................................. 18 Harvesting and Slope Decisions ................................................................................... 18 7 Monitoring Plan ...................................................................................................................... 19 Monitoring Forest Growth and Dynamics ......................................................................... 19 Social impact assessments .............................................................................................. 20 8 Spatial Information and Decision Support Systems ................................................................ 21 9 Forest Protection ................................................................................................................... 22 Fire Management ............................................................................................................. 22 Security............................................................................................................................ 22 Forest Communications ................................................................................................... 23 10 High Conservation Value (HCV)............................................................................................. 24 High Conservation Values ............................................................................................ 24 Endemic Species.......................................................................................................... 29 Other Conservation Reserve Areas .............................................................................. 30 11 Culturally and Historically Significant Sites ............................................................................. 31 1 June 2019 2 1 Management Plan Introduction This management plan has been produced in accordance with our commitment to international environmental standards. It contains Merrill and Ring’s general approach to forest management applied to certified forests under our management. Our management of Blenheim Estate is covered in this plan. Management Objectives The primary management objective of Blenheim Estate is to maximise investment returns by increasing the net present value of the estate. This will be achieved by progressing the following secondary objectives: Optimising biological growth to maximise value, Optimising tree crop expenses to maximise value, Maximising residual stumpage, Managing legal, commercial, and physical risks, Ensuring that the forest asset is accurately described and modelled, Operating in a sustainable and ethically responsible manner. 2 Related Documents and Systems 1. Integrated Pest and Weed Management Strategy 2. M&R Environmental Manual 3. M&R Health and Safety Manual 4. M&R Emergency Plan 5. Monitoring Plan 6. High Conservation Value Assessment and Management Plan 7. The Reserves Management Plan 8. Complaints and disputes process 9. Chain of Custody Procedure – Blenheim Estate Ltd. 10. Contracts and Prescriptions 11. Geographic Information System (GIS) 12. Stand Records System (Geomaster) 13. Tigermoth 14. Forest stewardship council / Merrill and Ring policies and procedures. 2 June 2019 3 3 Forest Description Forest statistics The Blenheim Estate of 4,752 hectares consists of 7 Forests, located in New Zealand’s Marlborough region. Of that total, 4,067 hectares are occupied by standing crop or are in the process of being replanted following harvest, and together are classed as the actual productive forest area. 534 hectares is indigenous vegetation (ranging from stream side reserves, native scrub to tall forest) managed for conservation purposes. The balance is considered unstocked (unplanted gaps in stands including skids, firebreaks, etc.) or unplantable (roads, water bodies, transmission corridors, etc.) and land that is due to be subdivided. Some 99 % of the planted area is established in radiata pine, with Douglas fir and macrocarpa making up the balance. After almost a hundred years of trial planting, radiata has proven to be the species that grows most economically in the soil and conditions of New Zealand. Forest Name Ownership (ha) Predominant Joint Freehold Forestry Species Vent Right ure Branch River 579 P. rad The Terraces 249 P. rad Hidden Valley 158 P. rad Benredwood 2,107 P. rad Chestnut Valley 9 788 541 P. rad Waihopai Flats 121 P. rad Koromiko 157 43 P. rad Total 287 3,922 540 Forest Layout The forest estate is comprised of 7 small to mid-sized tracts of land. The majority of the forests are on the Southbank of the Wairau River, a location map of the production forests is in Appendix 2. 3 June 2019 4 Socio Economic Conditions Over the last few decades the Marlborough region has faced a dramatic change. Historically the rural landscape comprised of sheep and beef farming on the flats with forestry in the hills, now the poor gravely soils lend themselves to viticulture. The Marlborough wine industry accounts for 2,350 direct jobs and an 2,500 indirect jobs to support the industry. Overall the Wine sector provides 10% of emplyment to the region1. In contrast it is estimated that the NZ forest industry as a whole provides 9,500 jobs nationally, with up to 300 jobs in the Marlborough region2. 71,084 ha of New Zealand’s production forests are located within the Marlborough region with a combined Nelson / Marlborough region of 166,230 ha3. This equates to 9.7% of New Zealand’s production forests. Forestry is an important industry to the New Zealand economy, with expected export earnings of $5.66 billon with an increase to $6.27 billion in 2021. With 8% of the total cubic metres shipped